Stock Market & Financial Investment News

Jefferies cuts price targets in 3D printing space after surveyAfter surveying 30 resellers in the 3D printing space, Jefferies analyst Jason North cut his price target for 3D Systems (DDD) to $14 from $22 and Stratasys (SSYS) to $50 from $60. A key investor discussion is when or if the industry will return to 20% growth, North writes in a research note. His survey indicates Q4 as the most likely time frame for Stratasys and later, if ever, for 3D Systems. The survey suggests weak Q2 results and a "muted" rebound in Q3, North tells investors. He prefers shares of Arcam (AMAVF) and Stratasys, both of which are Buy rated, to Hold-rated 3D Systems and Proto Labs (PRLB).

Stratasys upgraded to Buy with $45 price target at DoughertyBefore the open, Dougherty analyst Andrea James upgraded Stratasys (SSYS) to Buy from Neutral and set a $45 price target on the stock, noting that the firm's North American channel checks indicate the sales climate has improved since the stock was downgraded in April. James also said that the pullback in the stock over that time frame leaves it trading at a "historically low P/E multiple" and that the firm believes HP (HPQ) will compete more directly with others in the 3D space than it will with Stratasys.

Wal-Mart's Apple Pay competitor launching soon, Bloomberg saysCurrentC, the mobile payment application funded by Wal-Mart (WMT), Target (TGT), Best Buy (BBY) and others, will see an early trial run next month, Bloomberg reported earlier, citing three people familiar with the situation. A spokesperson for Lowe's (LOW) said the consortium behind the app expects an official launch in Q3, and Bloomberg noted that CurrentC will compete with more "established" offerings such as Apple's (AAPL) Apple Pay and Google's (GOOG) Android Pay. Reference Link

Proto Labs acquires new facility to expand 3D printing serviceProto Labs has acquired a new facility to expand its 3D printing service into a larger and more efficient additive manufacturing space. The 77,000 sq. ft. facility will allow the digital manufacturing company to house all of its stereolithography, selective laser sintering and direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) technology under one roof. The new plant is scheduled to become fully operational in the first half of 2016, and will remain in the North Carolina area where Proto Labsí current additive facilities are located. In addition to moving its existing equipment into the larger space, the prototyping and low-volume manufacturer plans to increase its overall 3D printing capacity with new machines. Anchoring the expansion will be SLS and DMLS equipment, which produce durable nylon parts and functional metal parts respectively. As 3D printing continues to grow industry-wide, Proto Labsí plans to be well-equipped to accommodate the ongoing evolution of additive manufacturing.